Apparatus for folding bed sheets and other sheets of supple material



y 11957 H. L. .L. JESUS 2,801,10IL

' APPARATUS FOR FOLDING BED SHEETS AND OTHER SHEETS OF SUFPLE MATERIALFiled June 22, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet l H. L. L. JESUS 2,801,101 APPARATUSFOR FOLDING BED SHEETS AND OTHER Jul 30, 1957 SHEETS OF SUPPLE MATERIAL4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 22, 1955 A Y 1957 H. L. L. JESUS 2,8OLWEAPPARATUS FOR FOLDING BED SHEETS AND OTHER SHEETS OF SUPPLE MATERIALFiled June 22, 1953 4 Shets-Sheet 5 5; if v Juiy 30, 1957 L L. JESUS ZEOLWI APPARATUS FOR FOLDING BED SHEETS ,AND OTHER SHEETS OF SUPPLEMATERIAL Filed June 22, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 H.L.L.Je5u,5

United States Patent O APPARATUS FOR FOLDING BED SHEETS AND OTHER SHEETSF SUPPLE MATERIAL Henri Lon Lucien Jesus, Boulogne-snr-Seine, FranceApplication June 22, 1953, Serial No. 363,151)

Claims priority, application France June 27, 1952 13 Claims. (Cl.270-68) This invention relates to an apparatus for folding sheets ofsupple material, more particularly for folding bed sheets, and it is inthis latter purpose which is more especially dealt with in the followingdescription and explanations, it being understood, however, that theinvention is in no way limited thereto.

One object of the invention is to provide for an apparatus for thefolding in two of sheets of supple material such as bed sheets, thepositioning of the fold in the middle of the length of the sheet beingperformed automatically, whatever may be said length.

Another object of the invention is to provide for an apparatus for thefolding in four of sheets of supple material such as bed sheets, thepositioning of the first fold in the middle of the length of the sheetand the positioning of the second fold in the middle of the length ofthe sheet already folded in two being both automatically performed,whatever may be the length of the sheet to be folded.

These objects and others will appear in the following description whichrelates to some specimen embodiments of the invention, given solely byway of illustration and shown diagrammatically on the accompanyingdrawing, on which:

Fig. 1 is a profile view of one embodiment of an apparatus for thefolding in four, a part of the frame-work having been removed so as toshow the inside;

Fig. 2 shows the essential components of the apparatus during the firststage of folding;

Fig. 3 shows the essential components of the apparatus during the secondstage of folding;

Fig. 4 shows the essential components of the apparatus during the thirdstage of folding;

Fig. 5 shows the essential components of the apparatus during the fourthand last stage of folding;

Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of an apparatus for the folding in two,at the beginning of the folding stage;

Fig. 7 shows the apparatus of Fig. 6 during the folding;

Fig. 8 shows another embodiment of an apparatus for the folding in two,at the beginning of the folding stage;

Fig. 9 shows the apparatus of Fig. 8 during the fold- Fig. 10 shows, ata larger scale, a detail of the apparatusses shown in Figs. 1 to 9.

The folding apparatus shown in Fig. 1 comprises a frame-work 1 mountedon casters 2.

In the upper part of the frame-work 1 is a conveyor 3 for carrying thesheets to be folded coming, for instance, from a drying and ironingmachine not shown in the drawing. This conveyor consists of belts orstrips of webbing 4 passing over rollers 5, 6 and 7, the latter beingthe driving roller. In order to permit of adjusting the entering of theconveyor 3 at the most suitable receiving level in relation, forinstance, to the discharge of a drying machine, the said conveyor is somounted as to be able to swivel as a whole round an axis coinciding withthat of the rollers.

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Substantially beneath the roller 5 is a spindle 8 rotating in theframe 1. At the ends of this spindle are keyed arms 9 (only one of whichis visible on the drawing), bearing a cross-bar 10 which forms themovable pick-up means which can work in conjunction with a fixed stopbar 10a, capable of being heated to complete the drying of this part ofthe sheet. The arms 9 are integral with arms 11 carrying a deflectorshutter 12 which constitutes the shifting means. On the spindle 8 iskeyed a pinion 13 engaged with a chain 14, the ends of which areconnected to the plungers 15a and 16a of two electromagnets 15 and 16.

The excitation circuits of the electromagnets 15 and 16 (supplied by asource such as the city mains) are controlled by contactors 17 and 18actuated by means detecting the passage of the sheets over the conveyor3 (see Fig. 10). These detector means consist of one or more discs 19penetrating slightly into the spaces between the strips of webbing 4.One at least of the said discs carries a counterweight 20 to bring backthe discs as a whole into the so-called off position corresponding tothe closing of the contactor 18 and the opening of the contactor 17. Inaddition, one of the discs carries a control finger 21 so arranged as toactuate a lever 22 which, in turn, controls the operation of thecontactors 17 and 18.

Two levers 23, pivoted at 24, are also fitted in the frame 1. Each ofthese levers comprises an upper arm 23a and a lower arm 23b. On the endsof the upper arm 23a a supporting cross-bar 25 is fitted, which can workin conjunction with the cross bar 11) for tightening the two ends of thesheet. On the ends of the lower arms 23!) is mounted a tighteningcylinder 26, the function of which will be seen later.

The two levers 23 are connected by a rod 27 with the plunger 28a of anelectromagnet 28, the circuit of which is controlled through anelectronic relay 29. This relay is actuated by a photo-electric cell 30which intercepts the luminous rays coming from an electric lamp 31.

Opposite the feed conveyor 3 and slightly lower than it is a deliveryconveyor 32 comprising one or several flexible belts 33 passing overthree rollers 34, 35 and 36, the latter being the driving roller.

The two conveyors 3 and 32 are driven by a common belt 37 from a pulley38 integral with a wheel 39, which is driven by an electric motor 40through a belt 41.

The folding apparatus which has just been described works as follows:

When the apparatus is not running, its essential components are in theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 2; the contactor 17 is open and thecontactor 18 is closed.

When a sheet D (Fig. 2) passes over the conveyor 3, it comes intocontact with the periphery of the detector disc 19 which rotates out ofits off position. However, as the control finger 20 (due to its positionon the disk 19) actuates the lever'22 only when the disk 19 has rotateda given angle, that is to say when the front edge of the sheet passed agiven distance beyond said disk, the contactors 17 and 18 are notactuated until the front edge of the sheet is hanging by a certainlength D from the front end of the conveyor 3 to pass behind the pickupbar 10. The length D'is depending from the diameter of the disk 19 andfrom the position of the finger 21 on said disk. At the time the disc 19has rotated sufi'lciently for the finger 21 actuates, by means of thelever 22 the contactors 17 and 18, the former closes while the endofthesheet.

moving along the latter conveyor (Fig. 7).

' directed on to the cell 30. The arrangement of the relay 7 .23 is suchthat, as soon as the cell 30 ceases-to be excited,

the electromagnet 28 is excited, which brings the organs 25 slides intothe position shown in Fig. 4.

' "On the'oth'er hand, so soon as the rear end of the sheet D has passedbeyond the detector disc 19, the latter under the action of thecounterweight 20 returns to the off position, the finger 21 does notlonger actuate the lever 22 and, by the action, of the contactors 1'7and 18 (which are returned in the position, shown in Fig. 10), theorgans 10 and 12 take up the position shown in Fig. 4.

In this position, the front and rear ends of the sheet are both heldtightly, substantially with the edges touching, between the pick-up bar10 and the supporting bar 25. Simultaneously the shifting shutter 12presses the loop D of the folded sheet D against the ascending side ofthe conveyor 32 on which the second fold begins to form owing to thelower part of the said loop moving upwards again.

As soon. asthe bottom of the said loop uncovers the source of light 31(Fig. 5), the cell 30 again becomes excited, and the excitation of theelectromagnet 28 ceases. At this moment, the tightening cylinder 26falls back 'on to the conveyor 32 against which it applies the fourthicknesses of the sheetfolded into four.

' It will be seen immediately that by designing the apparatus so thatthe length of that part of folded sheet which is comprised between thetightening zone of the members 26-32 and a line connecting 39 to 31 isequal to the length of that part of the folded sheet which is comprisedbetween the said tightening zone and the ends' of the sheetpreviouslyheld tightly between the members and 25, the second fold D' of the sheetD will automatically' place itself substantially half-way between theends of'the sheet and the first fold.

In certain cases it may be necessary to fold the sheet only in twoor tofold it before or after it has passed through the folding apparatusshown in Fig. 1, so as to have a sheet folded eight ply.

' Figs. 6 and 7 show an embodiment of a folding apparatus by means ofwhich the desired result can be achieved.

'This' device (which is here assumed to be intended to make a centrefold in a sheet D) comprises a feed conveyor 50, a delivery conveyor 51on which the fold is made,'and pick-up and tightening means placed infront of the conveyor 50, above the conveyor 51. The pick-up andtightening means comprise a fixed stop bar 52 and a mobile shutter 53which can work in conjunction with the stop bar 52.

The shutter 53 is mounted on the shaftof a pinion 13 engaged'with achain 14 the ends of which are connected to plungers iSa and 16a of twoelectromagnets and 16, the circuits of which are controlled fromcontactors 17 and 18 actuated from a detecting disk 19, the arrangementof this part of the apparatus being the same as in Fig. 10.

""2,so1,101. A

When the front end of the sheet D engages between the members 52 and 53(Fig. 6), the shutter 53 is actuated and presses against the bar 52,thus gripping the said As the sheet continues to be. carried along .bythe conveyor 50, a loop forms and falls on to the conveyor 51, thebottomor fold Da of the said loop As soon as the-rear end of the sheet Dpassed the disk 19, the shutter 53 is moved away from the stop bar 52.At this moment, the rear end of the sheet drops from the conveyor 50, afold will be made half way along the length of the sheet whatever maybethe length of the sheet.

A similar result is achieved with the alternative embodiment shown inFigs. 8 and 9, in which the pick-up organ is a grooved bar 53a and theconveyor 5111 base.

reverse position with respect to the position of the conv'eyor 51 ofFigsfi and 7, the other parts of the apparatus .being the same as in theprevious example and are 1nd1- cated with'the same reference numbers.

Moreover, these various devices can be arranged cascadewise so as tomake multiple folds.

It is obvious that the specimen embodiments of the folding apparatusdescribed above and shown on the accompanying drawing, have been givenmerely by way of illustration and are not restrictive, andthat-anydetail changes can be made therein. 7 a

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for folding sheets of supple material of the kind of bedsheets, comprising: a frame-work; an intake conveyor having a deliveryend and mounted on the frame-work for bringing in the sheets to befolded; a delivery conveyor having an intake end and mounted on theframe-work for evacuating the folded sheets; movable pickup meanslocated under the delivery end of the pick-up means and the movablesupporting means; shift ing means so arranged as to move, towards thedelivery "conveyor, the lower part of the hanging sheet already foldedin two, for allowing said sheet to begin a second told on said deliveryconveyor; first control means operatively connected with the movablepick-up means and with the shifting means for actuating them; firstdetector means located on the delivery end of the intake conveyor todetect the passage of the front and rear ends of each sheet over theintake conveyor, connected to said first control means and so arrangedas to actuate the control means with retardrnent, on detecting thepassage of the front end of the sheet, and immediately, on detecting thepassage of the rear end of the sheet; movable holding 'means locatedabove the intake end of the delivery conveyor to hold temporarily theupper part of the sheet placed on the delivery conveyor by the shiftingmeans; second control means operatively connected to said holding meansand to the movable supporting means for actuating them; and seconddetector means to detect the passage of the lower part of the hangingsheet folded in two,

connected to said second control means for actuating them.

2. Folding apparatus according to claim 1, in which the movable pick-upmeans and the shifting means are connected positively one to the other.

3. Folding apparatus according to claim 1, in which: the movable pick-upmeans comprise a shaft pivoted on the frame-work, two arms connected tosaid shaft and a pick-up cross-bar connected to the free ends of the twoarms; the fixed stop means consists of a cross-bar arranged to work inconjunction with the said pick-up bar; the shifting means comprise ashutter parallel to the movable pick-up cross-bar and two arms to theends of which the shutter is fixed said arms being connected to saidshaft so that the shutter and the pick-up bar swivel as a unit. 7

4. Folding apparatus according to claim 1, in which the first controlmeans of the pick-up means and of the.

shifting means comprise a pinion forming one piece with the said pick-upmeans and shifting means, a chain engaged with the said pinion, at leastone plunger connected to one end of the chain and an electromagnetwinding to actuate the plunger and electrically connected to the firstdetector means.

5. Folding apparatus according to claim 1, in which the first detectormeans comprises at least one switch so arranged as to be actuated by thepassage of the sheet on the intake conveyor.

6. Folding apparatus according to claim 1, in which the first detectormeans comprise: at least one disk so arranged as to be touched by eachsheet passing over the intake conveyor and capable of rotating when itis touched by said sheet; a control finger carried by the said disk; apivoted lever capable of being actuated by said control finger; at leastone contactor connected to the first control means and so arranged as tobe actuated by the said lever when the said disk has rotated by a givenangle in relation to a given starting position, and a counterweightfixed on the disk to keep it in the starting position and to bring itback to the said position when the disk, which has rotated under theaction of the passage of a sheet, is no more touched by the sheet.

7. Folding apparatus according to clairn l, in which the holding meansand the supporting means comprise: two arms pivoted on the frame-work; across-bar forming the supporting means fixed on the arms and inconjunction with which the pick-up means operates; and an idler rollerforming the holding means, turning on the free ends of the two arms andable to be moved towards the delivery conveyor.

8. Folding apparatus according to claim 1, in which the second controlmeans comprise at least one electromagnet.

9. Folding apparatus according to claim 1, in which the second detectormeans comprise: a source of light so arranged as to send a light beam inthe travel of the descending folded length of the hanging sheet; aphotoelectric cell arranged so as to be excited by the said source oflight when the length of sheet does not intercept the light beam comingfrom the said source of light; an electric amplifier connected to thesaid cell and to the second control means and 50 arranged as to actuatethe latter when the cell is not excited.

10. Folding apparatus according to claim 1, in which the intake conveyorcomprises parallel endless belts passing over a front and rear rollerand wherein the first detector means penetrates between two of saidbelts.

11. Folding apparatus according to claim 10, in which the rollers of theintake conveyor rotate in a frame which is pivoted on the frame-workround an axis substantially coincident with the axis of the roller ofthe delivery end, so that entrance to the said conveyor can be adjustedat different heights.

12. Folding apparatus for folding sheets of supple material of the kindof bed sheets, comprising: a framework; an intake conveyor having adelivery end and mounted on the frame-work for bringing in the sheets tobe folded; movable pick-up means located under the delivery end of theintake conveyor for picking up the front part of each sheet brought inby the intake conveyor; fixed stop means, in conjunction with which canwork the movable pick-up means for temporarily clamping the front partof said sheet; control means operatively connected to the pick-up meansfor actuating them; detector means located on the delivery end of theintake conveyor to detect the passage of the front and rear ends of eachsheet over the intake conveyor, connected to said control means and soarranged as to actuate the control means with retardment, on detectingthe passage of the front end of the sheet, and immediately, on detectingthe passage of the rear end of the sheet; and a delivery conveyorlocated under the pick-up and the stop means for the sheet which foldsitself on said delivery conveyor while the front part of the sheetremains clamped by the pick up and stop means and for evacuating thesheet thus folded in two.

13. In an apparatus for the folding of sheets of supple material of thekind of bed sheets, comprising: a framework; an intake conveyor having adelivery end and mounted on the said frame-work for bringing in eachsheet to be folded; clamping means located under the delivery end of theconveyor for maintaining temporarily at least the front part of thesheet brought in by said conveyor; control means positively connected tosaid clamping means for actuating the latter; and detector meansresponsive to the passage of the sheet on the conveyor and connected tothe control means for actuating the latter; the provision of a singlebearing conveyor extending under the clamping means so as to receive thesheet to allow the free formation of the fold of the sheet, thedisplacement of said fold during the leading of the rear part of thesheet, until the forward end of the sheet is released from the clampingmeans, under the action of the detector means, and the evacuation of thesheet folded in two.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,607,407 Mayer Nov. 16, 1926 2,022,351 Kahn Nov. 26, 1935 2,464,823Malott Mar. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 587,593 Great Britain Apr. 30, 1947618,157 Great Britain Feb. 17, 1949

